The Rite
by Tigerclaw
Summary: An intro to a new Silver Fang that will be in upcoming fics. This one is about his challenge to rise to rank of Athro. R


The crescent moon was atop its zenith in the sky amidst a backdrop of sparkling stars, looking down on the Sept of the Raging Storm. A light refreshing breeze blew, giving a slight relief to the garou during their revel on one of the hottest nights of the year.  
  
Kali Death-to-the-Wyrm sat impatiently on a flat topped rock near the circle of stones that was to serve as the boundaries for the Ritual tonight that would take him from the rank of Adren to that of Athro.  
  
The 28 year old Silver Fang Ahroun was to wrestle every other ahroun in the sept AND win, with only five minutes to rest between matches. It was sure to be a grueling test. Old-Ways-Don't-Die was taking his sweet time setting up for the ritual, and calling the sept's three other ahrouns to attendance. Only Kali, Old-Ways and the Sept's Grand Elder, Gaia's Rage Unleashed would be in attendance, but this was a very large step in Kali's life.  
  
Kali was a large man with flowing black hair to his shoulders, framing blue eyes and handsome regal features. He wore only a pair of boots and black leather breeches with metal bracers on his wrists. His sinewy muscled chest was criss-crossed with scars telling of his battles against the Wyrm and the Weaver. A large silver bladed weapon sat across his lap, his huge calloused hands polishing it. It was his Grand Klaive, the mystical weapon of the greatest Heroes of the garou. It had been his father's weapon, and his father's and so on and so forth since the Dark Ages, so pure was his bloodline.  
  
"Kali! If you would like to begin, we are all ready." Old-Ways-Don't- Die called to him from the stone circle. Kali looked up, seeing three young warriors, all ready to test his mettle. As he got up, laying his Grand Klaive down by the rock seat, he took a deep breath and intoned a quick prayer to Gaia and Falcon that he succeed. He moved with a grace surprising for a man so big, stepping to the center of the circle to face his first opponent. Old-Ways motioned to a young man with a bald head and an eyepatch over one eye that Kali recognized as Rhett Carver, a Glasswalker Ahroun of 23 summers. Rhett took his place two feet in front of Kali and bowed.  
  
Kali returned the gesture and assumed a simple posture, his arms loose and hanging at his sides. Old-Ways chopped at the air, the signal to begin and immediately the Glass Walker lunged forward, intent on bowling Kali over. Kali stepped to the side and left one foot in place. The Glass Walker saw too late his mistake and tripped over the foot, sprawling to the ground with a great "OOF!" Immediately Kali was on his back, grabbing his head and slamming his face into the hard, unforgiving ground, once, twice, three times. He sensed that the man was out cold when he felt his muscles relax.  
  
The Silver Fang hefted the man over his shoulder, carried him toward the edge of the boundary, and dropped him outside the stone circle. Old- Ways immediately raised a hand toward Kali, signaling him the winner.  
  
"I don't need, to rest, bring in the next one!" Kali called. The next man moved into the circle and Kali grinned. He was a tall, handsome man with short brown hair, dark brown eyes and a neatly trimmed beard and goatee that was really just a thin strip of hair reaching from his lower lip to his strong jaw. His lean, well muscled. frame was covered only in the white baggy pants of a gi. This was Talon Firestar, Kali's packmate, a 20 year old Stargazer Ahroun who hadn't gone to Tibet with the rest of his tribe. Perhaps this stemmed from the fact that he was child to a Black Fury mother, but since he'd been born a man (what a unforgivable crime…), she'd given him up to a Kinfolk family to raise and he'd gone into the Stargazers after his rite of passage.  
  
Talon was definitely a worthy opponent. Kali had once seen him take down two Black Spirals in Crinos when he'd only been in Glabro. Talon shifted his weight lightly from foot while Kali just stood watching, neither wanting to make the first move. It was Talon who got impatient first, launching himself into a tornado kick that caught Kali right in the jaw and knocked him off his feet. Kali landed hard and was just able to roll out of the way as Talon came down with a pendulum kick that would have broken bones if it had landed.  
  
Kali did a kip up to his feet and lashed out with his right fist. Talon caught his wrist and with a yank and a twist, flipped Kali onto his back. Again the Silver Fang kipped up to his feet and this time stood away from Talon for a moment, his hands moving in a blur to intercept, turn aside or otherwise block the Martial Artist's strikes. Slowly but surely, Kali was being driven back toward the edge of the circle. In a last desperate attempt, Kali moved in, letting a hard blow hit him in the ribs. He grunted, taking it, and wrapped one meaty arm around the smaller man's waist and twisted with all his might, hiptossing Talon.  
  
Talon flew through the air, but incredibly, twisted and somersaulted so that he landed on his feet-just outside the ring of stones. Kali let out a sigh of relief as Old-Ways-Never-Die lifted a hand toward him in victory for the second time.  
  
"Would you like to rest five minutes now?" Talon asked smugly. Between gasps, Kali nodded, allowing his packmate to help him back to the rock, where he sat down for a breather. All too soon, Old-Ways-Never-Die motioned for him to come back to the circle.  
  
His opponent this time was a Cliath of the Fenrir. A musclebound teenager with long brown hair, striking blue eyes and strong nordic features. Gunnar Hammerstrike was the name that came to mind. It didn't matter, he was the only one left standing in the way of attaining the higher rank and Kali wasn't going to let it stop him. Kali went to the ring and Old-Ways started the match.  
  
The Get came at him, swinging wildly, but powerfully. Kali weaved and dodged, blocking when he could and sure enough, all the energy the Get was wasting, caught up with him and he began to slow. Kali dropped down low and swept the boy off of his feet and caught his throat in a scissor lock between his knees. The boy turned red and began to gasp and finally just went limp. Kali threw his body out of the ring and Old-Ways came up to him, beside Gaia's Rage Unleashed with a smile across his tanned, weathered face.  
  
"You did it my boy, congratulations. You are now Athro." Kali bowed to his elder, even though what he really felt like doing was leaping up and down with joy.  
  
Just wait until Lani hears 'bout this! He thought to himself, a smile crossing his lips as his thought of his deliciously beautiful blonde haired kinfolk wife. As soon as he was able to, he ran off toward the bawn and his Lamborghini so he could go home and tell her. 


End file.
